Hezekiah Jones (a.k.a. Raph Cutrufello) and his family of Joneses are back on stage tonight at Johnny Brenda's with their reflective timeless sounds after a short hiatus. Hezekiah Jones latest offering Have You Seen Our Fort? exudes poppy, alt folk sounds that will surely have the crowd merrily tapping their feet, but the group can also awe you with some of the prettiest, earnest tunes this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. The band's music has so many layers, but it is a joy to peal them back to find at the core Cutrufello's rich vocals and heartfelt [...]
Chris Bathgate will be joined by Samantha Crain and The Wildfire for what is sure to be a spectacular evening of music @ Founders Brewing on Saturday January 28th. You can watch the rest of the Halfway House Sessions with Chris Bathgate and Samantha Crain over @ our 'Sessions' page . For those of you on the East side of the Mitten - you can catch this line-up on Friday the 27th @ the Blind [...]
Lots of exciting things have been happening on the home front these past couple of months whilst we've been gallivanting around New Zealand(thus the lack of daily posts). Perhaps the most exciting event on the local music scene in 2011 was the Valentiger Front Man Show - which took place in our home studio Stone House Recording . The ever-so talented Michael Knorr has started to put together videos from the show - with the always impressive Peter Fox providing the audio. [...]
As I wrote just over a year ago in a 2-part feature on How To Be A Coverblogger [ Pt. 1 / Pt. 2 ], keeping a coverblog requires a touch of obsession, an itch to live the writing life, and a willingness to keep a keen eye on a select handful of trusted sources. But though we watch the other coverbloggers carefully throughout the year, we are folkies first and foremost here at Cover Lay Down. And - as we noted atop our year's end mix - some of the [...]
Today we head to Oklahoma to sample the newest holiday compilation out of Norman. Local business Fowler VW has been hard at work creating a annual holiday album and concert concept, while Blackwatch Studios organized the album's production. This is Fowler VW's second free holiday album, following 2010's Checking It Twice. "Part of our shop's mission is to contribute to a community where local artists and musicians thrive," said Fowler VW General Manager Jonathan Fowler. "Through the annual album and concert, we're hoping to spread some holiday cheer and also spread the word that Oklahoma has some [...]
Oklahoman native Samantha Crain sings of bygone days and simpler times, her music a blend of folk and country, her voice a tremulous force of nature. Crain's quirky interpretation of the genre helps her songs rise above the mundane, and her understanding and love of literature imbues the tracks on latest album You (Understood) with a clear narrative. Combined with her outstanding voice, the words and music on the album create a map of people and places she's encountered on her travels, but everything [...]
First things first, I must inevitably apologise for the horrendous lateness of this podcast. Between my mum visiting, the gig on Sunday and the Samantha Crain Toad Session we recorded on Monday there just hasn't been enough time to catch up. It's that end of year time, too, when lists are being made, accounts submitted, the last releases of the year tended to and plans for next year being finalised, so just when I thought that I could coast into Christmas, it turns out I actually have just as much work now as at any other time of [...]
Well one thing's for sure, live in Edinburgh this week will very much not be me. I have a rather nasty flu/tonsillitis throat infection thingy (I'm not a doctor so I am not sure which, but you know the kind of thing I mean) and it means that swallowing is extraordinarily painful, even if it is gin. I am not sure that soaking the paracetamol in alcohol particularly aids in its efficacy either, but as I said, I am not a doctor. We, of course, have our next Ides of Toad gig on Sunday, when the [...]
Photo by Andy McLeod. A while back - we were fortunate enough to capture three sessions in one day. It was in the midst of the Salt Tour with Chris Bathgate and Hezekiah Jones - both sessions which we've featured previously. Now - it's Ms Samantha Crain's turn. If this is your introduction to Samantha Crain's music - then you're in for a real treat as it's most certainly one of our favorite voices to come through the StoneHouse. She's currently on tour across [...]
Cakecast? Yes, the Cakecast, because I turn thirty-six today, and in the absence of a real cake and in honour of the fact that I have a gig tonight at the Wee Red and will hence be working, I decided that at least a picture of some cake was in order. I don't worry about age particularly, but I have to confess that thirty-six sounds suspiciously more like 'nearly forty' than it does like 'thirty-something'. Curse you time and your unrelentingly linear nature! Anyhow, as I said, tonight we have Gummy Stumps , Weird Era [...]
I keep fretting about over-pimping my commercial enterprises on this blog, but I really should just stop worrying. Putting on live shows is not much more than an extension of me insisting on telling you what sort of music to listen to, so really there's not much difference between haranguing you about your buying habits and haranguing you about what you do in your free time really, is there. So, after a fantastic gig with The Last Battle, Dad Rocks! and Shoes and Socks Off, and a brilliant day in Anstruther with Hott Toadzzz! it's probably time to [...]
So, after the chaos of the Festival, we are back to normal service here in Ides of Toad HQ (which looks suspiciously similar to Song, by Toad HQ and bears a more than passing resemblance to Song, by Toad Records HQ). Actually, I thought I managed to get myself horribly waylaid by the Festival, but it turns out I have most of the Autumn's lineups already filled and ready to go, with only a few gaps here and there. This level of organisation rather shocks me, I have to confess, but I am sure I will find some [...]
Samantha Crain and Penny Hill talk about Angelina Jolie, MS Paint and homemade tattoos in Norman. The music playing is Penny Hill's "Olympia" from her upcoming 73, coming this fall from Nice People . The video is part of ChangeYrLife , shot by Delo Creative .
Samantha Crain and the Cat Calls (which includes Penny Hill ) recently performed an unreleased song "It's Simple," in a turn lane in Omaha, Nebraska. Love Drunk shoots live, one-take music videos of Nebraska artists and artists touring through Nebraska. These videos are featured on hearnebraska.org .
Photo by Andy McLeod. As previously mentioned - we had the pleasure of Chris Bathgate Hezekiah Jones AND Samantha Crain stopping by the Stone House whilst in the midst of their Salt Tour. This is Hezekiah Jones' Halfway House Session. Hezekiah Jones is actually a collection of Philadelphia area folk artists with Raphael Cutrufello leading the charge. Their latest album Have You Seen The New Fort? would make a great front porch companion. This is the second artist(see also White [...]
Photo by Andy McLeod. When the Salt Tour with Chris Bathgate Samantha Crain and Hezekiah Jones came through the grand land - we had the pleasure of hosting ALL three for a Halfway House Session. This is Chris Bathgate's. Bathgate was touring in support of his recently released/critically acclaimed album Salt Year - which will be on our 'Best of 20112 list @ years end. He's already receiving mid-year praise from [...]
This is a can't miss. Saturday April 23 @ Founders Brewing . Chris Bathgate Samantha Crain Hezekiah Jones This is the album release show for Chris Bathgate's Salt Year - which is already garnering some well deserved attention . Graham Parsons of the Go Rounds is also scheduled to perform.
Samantha Crain is featured in the newest episode of Fowler VW of Norman & TheSpyFM.com 's video series, "VDub Sessions" . Crain performs "Churchill" with Penny Hill , Daniel Foulks and Brian Gilliland and Laney Coker of O Fidelis in a green 1977 Vanagon as they drive around Oklahoma City. The video was shot by Nathan Poppe and produced by Jonathan Fowler.
John Moreland released a new album, Earthbound Blues , today. Purchase: BandCamp (Name Your Price) This is Moreland's fourth release in the past eight months (!) - Tear Me Back Apart / Blues & Kudzu (Feb 2011) , Hope Springs Ephemeral EP (Nov 2010) , Things I Can't Control (Jul 2010) . Earthbound Blues by John Moreland The album was produced by Matt Dylan Street in Choctaw and featured backing vocals from [...]
Photo: Jeremy Charles The Oklahoma Gazette came out with their annual Soundcheck issue yesterday and announced this year's Woody Award winners too: Best in Rock - The Non Best in Pop - Brianna Gaither Best in Folk - Samantha Crain Best in Metal - Rainbows Are Free (pictured) Best in Jazz - [...]
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